Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

Statement on result of Okinawa’s referendum

1. Result of the voting should be accepted seriously and need to dialogue “The referendum asked whether voters approved or opposed the landfill work at Henoko Bay for the construction of a new United States Marine Corps base” was held in 24th February and counted that day. 434,273 and 72.15% of Okinawan voters opposed the plan. We strongly request government accept the result seriously and have conscientious dialogue as national problem.
   
   
2. Government is pressing a choice between only two things “Futenma” or “Henoko” Government has advanced alternative project of Futenma base seems to be the most dangerous one in the world based on assumption of Henoko. Despite Okinawa prefecture has asked government to rethink the project again and again, Okinawa’s voice has been neglected. Government’s stance is like pressing a choice between only two things “Futenma” or “Henoko”. However some problems like weak ground in Henoko arisen and details, costs and duration of the construction work need to be revised because of those problems. We doubt that transferring to Henoko is the only one measure, in the situation that immediate “cutback and return” of Futenma base is necessary.
   
   
3. JTUC-RENGO has requested conscious dialogue between government and Okinawa JTUC-RENGO has made a request to the government for “Transferring of Futenma base to Henoko is just giving Okinawa the runaround, meeting in Okinawa seriously, accepting this problem as national problem and having conscious dialogue like pausing hard-line construction work based on the idea transferring to Henoko”. In Addition to that, we have spread out activities such as Peace Action in Okinawa across the country for “arrangement and cutback of U.S. base” and “drastic revise of Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement”.
   
   
4. Continuous Activities for reduction of Okinawa’s burden of holding base In the knowledge that Okinawa’s base issue is not only issue for Okinawa but for whole of Japan, JTUC-RENGO will share present situation and matters with allies in each part of Japan and reinforce our activities continuously for reduction of Okinawa’s burden of holding base.